100 英翻中 (約翰福音第三章) A matter of life and death. 有關生死的問題. 6/28/2025

100 英翻中 (約翰福音第三章)        A matter of life and death.   有關生死的問題.         6/28/2025

CHAPTER THREE          第三課                                                                                                                  John 3                                約翰福音第三章                                                                                                A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH         有關生死的問題

Not only was Benjamin Franklin a great statesman and inventor, but he was also a great correspondent and received letters from famous people from all over the world. One day he received what could well have been the most important letter ever to come to his desk. It was from the well-known British preacher George Whitefield.                                                                                                                      班傑明·富蘭克林不僅是一位偉大的政治家和發明家，也是一位傑出的通訊員，他收到來自世界各地名人的來信。有一天，他收到了一封可能是他收到最重要的信。這封信來自著名的英國傳教士喬治·懷特菲爾德。

         “I find that you grow more and more famous in the learned world,”  Whitefield wrote. “As you have made such progress in investigating the mysteries of electricity, I now humbly urge you to give diligent heed to the mystery of the new birth. It is a most important and interesting study and, when mastered, will richly repay you for your pains.”                                                                                                    懷特菲爾德寫道：「我發現你在學術界越來越出名了。鑑於你在探究電的奧秘方面取得瞭如此大的進步，我現在謙卑地敦促你認真研究新生的奧秘。這是一門極其重要且有趣的學科，一旦你掌握了它，你的痛苦付出將得到豐厚的回報。」

        The new birth is one of the key topics in John 3. In addition, in this chapter we see Jesus Christ in three different roles: the Teacher (John 3:1–21), the Bridegroom (John 3:22–30), and the Witness (John 3:31–36).                                                                                                                                                                新生是約翰福音第三章的關鍵主題之一。此外，在本章中，我們看到耶穌基督扮演了三個不同的角色：教師（約翰福音 3:1-21）、新郎（約翰福音 3:22-30）和見證人（約翰福音 3:31-36）。

Jesus Christ the Teacher (3:1–21)                                                                                                              耶穌基督教師（3:1-21)                                                                                                                            We have already noted the connection between John 2:23–25 and 3:1. Nicodemus was initially attracted to Jesus because of the miracles He did. He wanted to know more about Jesus and the doctrines that He taught. Nicodemus himself was “the teacher of the Jews” (John 3:10, literal translation), and he had great respect for the Teacher from Galilee.                                                                                                我們已經注意到約翰福音2:23-25和3:1之間的連結。尼哥底母最初被耶穌所吸引，是因為祂所行的神蹟。他想更了解耶穌和祂所教導的教義。尼哥底母本身是「猶太人的教師」（約翰福音3:10，直譯），他非常尊重這位來自加利利的教師。

       Nicodemus was a Pharisee, which meant he lived by the strictest possible religious rules. Not all of the Pharisees were hypocrites (as one may infer from Jesus’ comments recorded in Matt. 23), and evidence indicates that Nicodemus was deeply sincere in his quest for truth. He came to Jesus by night, not because he was afraid of being seen, but most likely because he wanted to have a quiet uninterrupted conversation with the new Teacher “come from God.”   The fact that Nicodemus used the plural pronoun “we,” and Jesus responded with the plural “ye” (John 3:7) may indicate that Nicodemus was representing the religious leaders. He was a man of high moral character, deep religious hunger, and yet profound spiritual blindness.                                                                                                                     尼哥底母是法利賽人，這意味著他嚴格遵守宗教戒律。並非所有法利賽人都是偽君子（從馬太福音23章記載耶穌的評論中可以推斷出來），有證據表明尼哥底母在尋求真理方面非常真誠。他夜裡來見耶穌，並非因為害怕被人看見，而很可能是因為他想與這位「從上帝那裡來的」新教師進行一次安靜、不受干擾的談話。尼哥底母使用了複數代名詞  “我們”，而耶穌用複數代名詞  “你們”（約翰福音3:7）來回應，這可能表明尼哥底母代表的是宗教領袖。他品德高尚，對宗教有著強烈的渴求，然而在靈性上卻極為盲目。

        In order to instruct Nicodemus in the basics of salvation, our Lord used four quite different illustrations.                                                                                                                                                            為了教導尼哥底母救恩的基本知識，我們的主使用了四個截然不同的例子。

Birth (vv. 1–7). Our Lord began with that which was familiar, birth being a universal experience. The word translated “again” also means “from above.” Though all human beings have experienced natural birth on earth, if they expect to go to heaven, they must experience a supernatural spiritual birth from above.                                                                                                                                                            出生（1-7節）。我們的主從我們熟悉的開始，因為出生是一種普遍的經驗。翻譯為「再次」的字也有「從上頭來」的意思。雖然所有人類都在地上經歷過自然的出生，但如果他們期望升入天堂，就必須經歷從上頭來的超自然的屬靈誕生。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Once again, we meet with the blindness of sinners: this well-educated religious leader, Nicodemus, did not understand what the Savior was talking about! Jesus was speaking about a spiritual birth, but Nicodemus thought only of a physical birth. The situation is no different today. When you talk with people about being born again, they often begin to discuss their family’s religious heritage, their church membership, religious ceremonies, and so on.                                                                                                      我們再次看到了罪人的瞎眼：這位受過良好教育的宗教領袖尼哥底母不明白救主在說什麼！耶穌講的是屬靈的出生，但尼哥底母只想到肉體的出生。今天的情況也一樣。當你與人談論重生時，他們常常會開始討論他們家庭的宗教傳統、教會成員、宗教儀式等等。

        Being a patient teacher, our Lord picked up on Nicodemus’s words and further explained the new birth. To be “born of water” is to be born physically (“enter a second time into his mother’s womb”) but to be born again means to be born of the Spirit. Just as there are two parents for physical birth, so there are two “parents” for spiritual birth: the Spirit of God (John 3:5) and the Word of God (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23–25). The Spirit of God takes the Word of God and, when the sinner believes, imparts the life of God.                                                                                                                                                                    作為一位耐心的教師，我們的主理解了尼哥底母的話，並進一步解釋了新生。 「從水生」是指肉體的誕生（「第二次進入母腹」），而重生則是指靈性的誕生。正如肉體的誕生有兩個父母，屬靈的誕生也有兩個「父母」：上帝的靈（約翰福音3:5）和上帝的話語（雅各書1:18；彼得前書:23-25）。上帝的靈接受祂的話語，當罪人相信時，就將祂的生命賜給他們。                                                                                                                                                                                                Jesus was not teaching that the new birth comes through water baptism. In the New Testament,  baptism is connected with death, not birth, and no amount of physical water can effect a spiritual change in a person. The emphasis in John 3:14–21 is on believing, because salvation comes through faith (Eph. 2:8–9). The evidence of salvation is the witness of the Spirit within (Rom. 8:9), and the Spirit enters your life when you believe (Acts 10:43–48; Eph. 1:13–14).                                                                                耶穌並非教導新生是透過水的洗禮而來。在新約聖經中，洗禮與死亡有關，而非出生，無論多少水都無法改變一個人的靈性。約翰福音3:14-21強調的是相信，因為救恩是因著信而來（弗 2:8-9）。救恩的證據是聖靈在你裡面的見證（羅馬書 8:9），當你相信的時候，聖靈就會進入你的生命（使徒行傳 10:43-48；以弗所書 1:13-14）。

        Water baptism is certainly a part of our obedience to Christ and our witness for Christ (Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 2:41). But it must not be made an essential for sal vation; otherwise, none of the Old Testament saints was ever saved, nor was the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39–43). In every age, there has been but one way of salvation—faith in God’s promise—though the out ward evidence of that faith has changed from age to age.                                                                                                                                      水的洗禮當然是我們順服基督和為基督作見證的一部分（馬太福音 28:18-20；使徒行傳2:41）。但絕不能把它當作得救的必要條件；否則，舊約聖徒中就無一人得救，十字架上的強盜也一樣（路加福音23:39-43）。在每個時代，只有一個得救的方法 ── 信靠神的應許 ── 儘管這信心的外在證據在不同時代有所改變。

         Human birth involves travail (John 16:21), and so does the birth from above. Our Savior had to travail on the cross so that we might become members of the family of God (Isa. 53:11). Concerned believers have to travail in prayer and witness as they seek to lead sinners to Christ (1 Cor. 4:15; Gal. 4:19).                                                                                                                                                                      人的出生需要經歷痛苦（約翰福音16:21），從上頭來的誕生也是如此。我們的救主必須在十字架上受苦，使我們成為上帝家裡的人（以賽亞書53:11）。憂心忡忡的信徒必須在禱告和見證中受苦，努力引導罪人歸向基督（哥林多前書4:15；加拉太書4:19）。

        The child inherits the nature of the parents, and so does the child of God. We become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Nature determines appetite, which explains why the Christian has an appetite for the things of God (1 Peter 2:2–3). He has no desire to go back to the foul things of the world that once appealed to him (2 Peter 2:20–22). He feeds on the Word of God and grows into spiritual maturity (Heb. 5:11–14).                                                                                                                                         孩子繼承了父母的本性，上帝的孩子也是如此。我們成為「與祂的性情有份」（彼得後書1:4）。本性決定了慾望，這就解釋了為什麼基督徒對祂的事物有慾望（彼得前書2:2-3）。他不想回到曾經吸引他的世俗污穢之中（彼得後書2:20-22）。他以上帝的話語為食，使靈性成長成熟（希伯來書 5:11-14）。

        Of course, birth involves life, and spiritual birth from above involves God’s life. John uses the word life thirty-six times in his gospel. The opposite of life is death, and the person who has not believed on Jesus Christ does not have God’s life, eternal life, abundant life. You do not manufacture Christians any more than you manufacture babies! The only way to enter God’s family is through the new birth (John 1:11–13).                                                                                                                                      當然，出生涉及生命，而從上頭來的靈性出生涉及上帝的生命。約翰在他的福音書中三十六次使用了「生命」這個字。生命的反面是死亡，沒有相信耶穌基督的人沒有上帝的生命、永生和豐盛的生命。你不能製造基督徒，就像你不能製造嬰兒一樣！進入上帝家的唯一途徑是經由新生（約翰福音 1:11-13）。

        Birth involves a future, and we are “born again to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3 nasb). A newborn baby can not be arrested because he or she has no past! When you are born again into God’s family, your sins are forgiven and forgotten, and your future is bright with a living hope.                                              出生涉及未來，我們「重生，叫我們有活潑的盼望」（彼得前書 1:3 新美國標準版）。新生的嬰兒不能被阻止，因為他或她沒有過去！當你重生進入上帝的家庭時，你的罪就被赦免和遺忘了，你的未來充滿活潑的盼望，一片光明。

        Nicodemus must have had a surprised and yet bewildered look on his face, for the Lord had to say, “You must not be surprised that I told you that all of you must be born again” (John 3:7 ph). But Nicodemus was born a Jew! He was a part of God’s covenant people (Rom. 9:4–5)! Certainly his birth was better than that of a Gentile or a Samaritan! And his life was exemplary, for he was a faithful Pharisee! He could well understand Jesus telling the Romans that they had to be born again, but certainly not the Jews!                                                                                                                                             尼哥底母臉上一定露出驚訝又困惑的表情，因為主不得不說：「我告訴你們，你們都必須重生，你們不要以為希奇」（約翰福音3:7）。但尼哥底母生來就是猶太人！他是上帝立約子民中的一員（羅馬書9:4-5）！他的出身無疑比外邦人或撒瑪利亞人優越！他的人生堪稱典範，因為他是個忠心的法利賽人！他完全理解耶穌告訴羅馬人必須重生，但絕對不是指猶太人！

       The wind (vv. 8–13). It is likely that the evening wind was blowing just then as Nicodemus and Jesus sat on the housetop conversing. The word wind in both Hebrew and Greek can also be translated “spirit.” One of the symbols of the Spirit of God in the Bible is the wind or breath (Job 33:4; John 20:22; Acts 2:2). Like the wind, the Spirit is invisible but powerful, and you cannot explain or predict the movements of the wind.                                                                                                                                  風（8-13節）。當時，尼哥底母和耶穌坐在屋頂上交談，很可能正刮著晚風。 「風」這個字在希伯來文和希臘文都可以翻譯為「靈」。聖經中，上帝之靈的象徵之一是風或氣息（約伯記33:4；約翰福音20:22；使徒行傳2:2）。就像風一樣，聖靈雖然看不見，卻大有能力，你無法解釋或預測風的動向。

        When Jesus used this symbol, Nicodemus should have readily remembered Ezekiel 37:1–14. The prophet saw a valley full of dead bones, but when he prophesied to the wind, the Spirit came and gave the bones life. Again, it was the combination of the Spirit of God and the Word of God that gave life. The nation of Israel (including Nicodemus and his fellow council members) was dead and hopeless, but in spite of the morality and religion of the people, they needed the life of the Spirit.                                          當耶穌使用這個象徵時，尼哥底母應該很容易想起以西結書37:1-14。先知看見山谷裡滿是枯骨，但當他向風發預言時，聖靈降臨，使枯骨復活。再一次，正是上帝的靈和祂的話語結合，才賦予了生命。以色列民族（包括尼哥底母和他的議會同僚）已經死去，毫無希望，但無論人民的道德和宗教信仰如何，他們都需要聖靈的生命。

        The new birth from above is a necessity (“Ye must be born again”), but it is also a mystery. Everyone who is born of the Spirit is like the wind: you cannot fully explain or predict either the wind or the child of God! For that matter, human birth is still a mystery, in spite of all that we know about anatomy and physiology. Each new life is exciting and different.                                                                         從上頭來的重生是必然的（「你們必須重生」），但它也是個奧秘。凡從靈生的，都像風：你無法完全解釋或預測風或上帝的孩子！就此而言，儘管我們對解剖學和生理學了解甚多，但人類的誕生仍然是個奧秘。每個新生命都令人興奮，而且各不相同。

         Nicodemus came “by night,” and he was still in the dark! He could not understand the new birth even after Jesus had explained it to him. Our Lord stated clearly that Nicodemus’s knowledge of the Old Testament should have given him the light he needed (John 3:10). Alas, “the teacher of the Jews” knew the facts recorded in the Scriptures, but he could not understand the truths.                                                        尼哥底母「夜間」來，他仍然是在黑暗中！即使耶穌向他解釋了重生，他仍然不明白。我們的主清楚地表明，尼哥底母對舊約的了解應該能給他所需的亮光（約翰福音3:10）。可惜的是，「猶太人的師傅」知道聖經中記載的事實，但他卻不明白其中的真理。

         What was the problem? For one thing, the religious leaders would not submit to the authority of Christ’s witness (John 3:11). We will see this “authority conflict” increase as we continue in our studies. The religious leaders claimed to believe Moses, yet they could not believe Jesus (John 5:37–47). The Pharisees were more concerned about the praise of men than the praise of God (John 12:37–50).                      問題是什麼？首先，宗教領袖不願順服基督見證的權柄（約翰福音3:11）。隨著我們繼續學習，我們會看到這種「權柄衝突」會愈演愈烈。宗教領袖聲稱相信摩西，卻不能相信耶穌（約翰福音5:37-47）。法利賽人更關心人的榮耀，過於對上帝的榮耀（約翰福音12:37-50）。

         “I have used earthly illustrations,” said Jesus, “and you cannot understand. If I began to share the deep spiritual truths, you still would not believe” (John 3:12).                                                                            耶穌說：「我用屬世的比喻，你們還是無法明白；若我將那深奧屬靈的道理講出來，你們還是不信」（約翰福音3:12）。

        The serpent on the pole (vv. 14–18). The story in Numbers 21:4–9 was certainly familiar to Nicodemus. It is a story of sin, for the nation rebelled against God and had to be punished. God sent fiery serpents that bit the people so that many died. It is also a story of grace, for Moses interceded for the people and God provided a remedy. He told Moses to make a brass serpent and lift it up on a pole for all to see. Any stricken person who looked at the serpent would immediately be healed. So, it is also a story of faith: when the people looked by faith, they were saved.                                                                     桿上的銅蛇（14-18節）。尼哥底母對民數記21:4-9的故事一定很熟悉。這是一個關於罪的故事，因為以色列人背叛了上帝，必須受到懲罰。祂差遣火蛇咬傷百姓，許多人因此喪命。這也是一個關於恩典的故事，因為摩西為百姓代求，上帝就提供了拯救的方法。祂告訴摩西要製造一條銅蛇，掛在桿子上，讓眾人仰望。任何受災的人只要望著這條蛇，就會立刻痊癒。所以，這也是一個關於信心的故事：當人們憑著信心仰望時，他們就得救了。

         The verb lifted up has a dual meaning: to be crucified (John 8:28; 12:32–34) and to be glorified and exalted. In his gospel, John points out that our Lord’s crucifixion was actually the means of His glorification (John 12:23ff.). The cross was not the end of His glory; it was the means of His glory (Acts 2:33). Much as the serpent was lifted up on that pole, so the Son of God would be lifted up on a cross. Why? To save us from sin and death. In the camp of Israel, the solution to the “serpent problem” was not in killing the serpents, making medicine, pretending they were not there, passing antiserpent laws, or climbing the pole. The answer was in looking by faith at the uplifted serpent.                                                 動詞「舉起」有雙重意義：主釘在十字架上（約翰福音 8:28；12:32-34）及祂得著榮耀和高舉。約翰在他的福音書中指出，我們的主釘在十字架上實際上是祂得榮耀的手段（約翰福音 12:23 比照研讀）。十字架不是祂榮耀的終點，而是祂獲得榮耀的途徑（使徒行傳 2:33）。正如蛇被舉在桿子上一樣，上帝的兒子也要被舉在十字架上。為什麼？為了拯救我們脫離罪惡和死亡。在以色列營中，「蛇的問題」的解決方案不是殺死蛇、製藥、假裝它們不存在、透過反蛇法或爬上桿子。答案在於憑著信心仰望被舉起的銅蛇。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        The whole world has been bitten by sin, and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). God sent His Son to die, not only for Israel, but for a whole world. How is a person born from above? How is he or she saved from eternal perishing? By believing on Jesus Christ; by looking to Him in faith.                              全世界都被罪吞噬，「罪的工價乃是死」（羅馬書6:23）。上帝差遣祂的兒子受死，不只是為了以色列，也是為了全世界的人。人如何從天上面得重生？他或她如何從永恆的滅亡中得救？藉著相信耶穌基督；憑著信心仰望祂。

         On January 6, 1850, a snowstorm almost crippled the city of Colchester, England, and a teenage boy was unable to get to the church he usually attended. So he made his way to a nearby Primitive Methodist chapel, where an ill-prepared layman was substituting for the absent preacher. His text was Isaiah 45:22—“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” For many months this young teenager had been miserable and under deep conviction, but though he had been reared in church (both his father and grandfather were preachers), he did not have the assurance of salvation.                                      1850年1月6日，一場暴風雪幾乎摧毀了英國科爾切斯特市，一個十幾歲的男孩無法到他通常去的教堂。於是，他去了附近的一個原始衛理公會教堂，在那裡，一位準備不足的平信徒代替了缺席的牧師。他所講的經文是以賽亞書45:22－「地極的人當仰望我，就必得救。」幾個月來，這個年輕的少年一直活在痛苦之中，深深地自責，儘管他在教會長大（他的父親和祖父都是牧師），但他並沒有得救的確據。

        The unprepared substitute minister did not have much to say, so he kept repeating the text. “A man need not go to college to learn to look,” he shouted. “Anyone can look — a child can look!” About that time, he saw the visitor sitting to one side, and he pointed at him and said, “Young man, you look very miserable. Young man, look to Jesus Christ!”                                                                                                      這位毫無準備的替代牧師沒什麼好說的，於是他不停地重複著經文。 「一個人不需要上大學才能學會看，」他喊道。 「任何人都可以看 ── 連小孩都可以看！」大約在那時，他看到坐在一旁的訪客，便指著他說：「年輕人，你看起來很可憐。年輕人，仰望耶穌基督！」

        The young man did look by faith, and that was how the great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon was converted.                                                                                                                                                        年輕人確實憑著信心去仰望主，他就是偉大的傳道人司布真, 這是他歸信主的故事。

        The difference between perishing and living, and between condemnation and salvation, is faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus could well have come to this world as a judge and destroyed every rebellious sinner, but in love, He came to this world as our Savior, and He died for us on the cross! He became the “uplifted serpent.” The serpent in Moses’ day brought physical life to dying Jews, but Jesus Christ gives eternal life to anyone who trusts Him. He has salvation for a whole world!                                                         滅亡與生存，定罪與得救之間的區別，在於對耶穌基督的信心。耶穌本可以, 以審判官的身份來到這個世界，毀滅悖逆的罪人，但因著愛，祂以我們的救主的身份來到這個世界，為我們死在十字架上！祂成了「被舉起的蛇」。摩西時代的蛇為垂死的猶太人帶來了肉體的生命，但耶穌基督卻將永生賜給所有信靠祂的人。祂為整個世界帶來了救贖！

         Light and darkness (vv. 19–21). This is one of the major images used in this gospel (John 1:4–13). Why will sinners not come into the “light of life”? Because they love the darkness! They want to persist in their evil deeds, and this keeps them from coming to the light, for the closer the sinner gets to the light, the more his sins are exposed. It is not “intellectual problems” that keep people from trusting Christ; it is the moral and spiritual blindness that keeps them loving the darkness and hating the light.              光明與黑暗（19-21節）。本福音書使用光明與黑暗的對比為主要意象之一（約翰福音1:4-13）。為什麼罪人不願來到「生命的光」裡呢？因為他們喜愛黑暗！他們想要堅持作惡，這使他們無法來到光明中，因為罪人越接近光明，他的罪就越顯露。阻止人們信靠基督的並非  “智力問題”，而是道德和靈性的盲目，使他們喜愛黑暗，憎恨光明。

        Please note that Nicodemus finally did “come to the light.” He was in the “midnight of confusion” (John 3:1–21), but eventually he came out into the “sunlight of confession” when he identified with Christ at Calvary (John 19:38–42). He realized that the uplifted Savior was indeed the Son of God.                  請注意，尼哥底母最終確實「來到了光明中」。他曾經處於「午夜的混亂」（約翰福音3:1-21），但最終，當他在髑髏地與基督認同時，他來到了「懺悔的陽光下」（約翰福音19:38-42）。他意識到被高舉的救主確實是神的兒子。    

Jesus the Bridegroom (3:22–30)                                                                                                              新郎耶穌（3:22-30）                                                                                                                              Until John the Baptist was arrested by Herod and put into prison, his ministry overlapped that of the Lord Jesus. John did not want anyone to follow him; his ministry was to point to the Lamb of God and urge people to trust Him. But when two popular preachers are involved in similar work, it is easy for both friends and enemies to get caught up in competition and comparison.                                              在施洗約翰被希律逮捕入獄之前，他的事奉與主耶穌的事奉重疊。約翰不希望任何人跟隨他；他的事工是指向上帝的羔羊，並敦促人們信靠祂。但是，當兩位受歡迎的傳道人從事類似的工作時，朋友和敵人都很容易陷入競爭和比較。

       It appears that some of John’s disciples started the argument. It began on doctrinal grounds—the matter of purifying—but soon moved to personal grounds. In John 3:25, some manuscripts read “a Jew” instead of   “the Jews.” Could this unnamed Jew have possibly been Nicodemus? We cannot say, but it is a possibility.                                                                                                                                                            看來是約翰的一些門徒挑起了這場爭論。爭論始於教義上的問題 —— 潔淨的事 —— 但很快就轉移到了個人問題上。在約翰福音3:25中，有些抄本寫的是「一個猶太人」而不是「猶太人」。這個沒有名字的猶太人可能是尼哥底母嗎？我們無法確定，但有這種可能。

         The matter of purifying was important to the Jews (Mark 7:1–23). Under the Old Testament law, it was necessary for them to keep themselves ceremonially clean if they were to serve God and please Him. Unfortunately, the Pharisees added so many extra traditions to the law that the observing of it became a burden.                                                                                                                                                    潔淨的事對猶太人來說很重要（可 7:1-23）。 根據舊約律法，如果他們要侍奉上帝並取悅祂，就必須在禮儀上保持潔淨。不幸的是，法利賽人在律法上加了太多額外的傳統，以致遵守律法成了一種負擔。

        Without realizing it, John’s disciples were putting him into a situation of competing against the Lord Jesus! “All men come to him!” (John 3:26) sounds like a wail of despair. It is interesting to note that four of the greatest men in the Bible faced this problem of comparison and competition: Moses (Num. 11:26–30), John the Baptist (John 3:26–30), Jesus (Luke 9:46–50), and Paul (Phil. 1:15–18). A leader often suffers more from his zealous disciples than from his critics!                                                          約翰的門徒不知不覺就把他置於與主耶穌競爭的境地！ 「人人都到他那裡去！」（約翰福音 3:26）聽起來像是絕望的哀號。有趣的是，聖經中最偉大的四個人都面臨著這種比較和競爭的問題：摩西（民數記 11:26-30）、施洗約翰（約翰福音 3:26-30）、耶穌（路加福音 9:46-50）和保羅（腓立比書 1:15-18）。領袖常常因熱心的門徒而受苦，而不是因為批評他而受苦！

        How did John the Baptist handle this controversy? To begin with, he stated a conviction: all ministry and blessing come from God, so there can be no competition (John 3:27). Paul would have agreed with this (1 Cor. 3:1–9; 4:1–7). Our gifts and opportunities come from God, and He alone must get the glory.                                                                                                                                                          施洗約翰是如何處理這場爭議的？首先，他表明了一個信念：一切事工和祝福都來自上帝，所以不存在競爭（約翰福音3:27）。保羅也會同意這一點（哥林多前書3:1-9；4:1-7）。我們的恩賜和機會來自上帝，只有祂必須得著榮耀。

        Then John used a beautiful illustration. He compared Jesus to the bridegroom and himself only to the best man (John 3:29). Once the bridegroom and bride had been brought together, the work of the best man was completed. What a foolish thing it would be for the best man to try to “upstage” the bridegroom and take his place. John’s joy was to hear the voice of the Bridegroom and know that He had claimed His bride.                                                                                                                                            然後，約翰用了一個美麗的比喻。他把耶穌比喻為新郎，把自己比喻為伴郎（約翰福音3:29）。新郎和新娘一旦走在一起，伴郎的工作就完成了。如果伴郎試圖「搶」新郎的風頭，取代他的位置，那是多麼愚蠢的事情。約翰的喜樂在於聽到新郎的聲音，知道祂已經認領了祂的新娘。

         Even before his birth, John the Baptist rejoiced in the Lord (Luke 1:44). John was content to be the voice announcing Jesus to be the Word (John 1:23). Jesus was the Light, and John the Baptist was the witness pointing to the Light (John 1:6–8).                                                                                                       施洗約翰甚至在出生前就因主而喜樂（路加福音1:44）。約翰滿足於成為宣告耶穌是道的聲音（約翰福音1:23）。耶穌是光，施洗約翰是指光的見證人（約翰福音1:6-8）。

        Often press releases and book reviews cross my desk, along with conference folders, and at times I am perturbed by what I read. Very few speakers and writers are ordinary people. They are “world travelers” or “noted lecturers” who have addressed “huge audiences.” They are always in    “great demand,” and their ministries are described in such ways that they make the apostle Paul a midget by comparison.                                                                                                                                                            我的辦公桌上經常堆滿新聞稿、書評和會議資料，有時讀到的內容會讓我感到不安。演講者和作家很少是普通人。他們是“環球旅行家”或“著名講師”，曾向“眾多聽眾”發表演講。他們總是“備受歡迎”，而他們的事工被描述得如此誇張，以至於使徒保羅相比之下都顯得微不足道。

        A Presbyterian pastor in Melbourne, Australia introduced J. Hudson Taylor by using many    superlatives, especially the word great. Taylor stepped to the pulpit and quietly said, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.” If John the Baptist in heaven heard that statement, he must have shouted “Hallelujah!”                                                                                                                                            澳洲墨爾本的一位長老教會牧師在介紹戴德生時，用了很多極高的形容詞，尤其是「偉大」這個詞。戴德生走上講台，輕聲說：「親愛的朋友們，我是這位傑出主的卑微僕人。」如果施洗約翰在天堂聽到這句話，他一定​​會高呼「哈利路亞！」

         The image of the Bridegroom would have been sig nificant to the Jewish people, for Jehovah had a “marriage covenant” with the nation (Isa. 54:5; 62:4ff.; Jer. 2:2; 3:20; Ezek. 16:8; Hos. 2:19ff.). Alas, Israel had been unfaithful to her vows, and God had to put her away temporarily. Today, God is calling out a people for His name, the church, the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:1–3; Eph. 5:22–33). One day the Bridegroom will come to claim His bride and take her to her home in heaven (Rev. 19:6–9; 21:9ff.).                新郎的形象對猶太人來說意義非凡，因為耶和華與這個民族立了「婚約」（賽54:5；62:489:28）。可惜的是，以色列違背了她的誓言，上帝不得不暫時將她丟棄。如今，上帝正在呼召一群人歸於祂的名，就是教會，基督的新娘（林後11:1-3；弗5:22-33）。終有一天，新郎會來迎接他的新娘，並將她帶回天家（啟19:6-9；21:9 比照研讀）。

         The word must is used in three significant ways in this chapter. There is the “must” of the sinner (John 3:7), the “must” of the Savior (John 3:14), and the “must” of the servant (John 3:30).                              「必須」一詞在本章中有三種重要的用法。罪人的「必須」（約翰福音 3:7），救主的「必須」（約翰福音 3:14），以及僕人的「必須」（約翰福音 3:30）。

Jesus the Witness (3:31–36)                                                                                                                        耶穌作見證（3:31-36）                                                                                                                            Bible scholars do not agree as to who is speaking in John 3:31–36, John the apostle or John the Baptist. For that matter, some students believe that John 3:16–21 came from the apostle John and not the Lord Jesus. There were no quotation marks in early manu scripts, but since all Scripture is inspired, it really makes little difference who said the words.                                                                                                  聖經學者對約翰福音 3:31-36 中說話的人是誰，是使徒約翰還是施洗約翰，意見不一。此外，有些學者認為約翰福音 3:16-21 出自使徒約翰，而非主耶穌。早期手抄本中沒有引號，但由於所有聖經都是受默示的，所以誰說了這些話其實並不重要。本段的重點是見證（“tests timony”），這是約翰福音的關鍵主題之一。翻譯為「見證」或「證言」的希臘文出現了四十七次。約翰為耶穌作見證（約 1:7；5:33），但耶穌也是真理的見證人。為什麼我們應該聽從祂的見證？有幾個原因。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The emphasis in this paragraph is on witness (“testimony”), one of the key subjects in John’s gospel. The Greek word translated “witness” or “testimony” is used forty-seven times. John bore witness to Jesus (John 1:7; 5:33), but Jesus was also a witness to the truth. Why should we heed His witness? For several reasons.                                                                                                                                 本段的重點是見證（「見證」），這是約翰福音的關鍵主題之一。翻譯為「見證」或「證言」的希臘文使用了四十七次。約翰為耶穌作見證（約翰福音1:7；5:33），但耶穌也是真理的見證人。為什麼我們應該聽從祂的見證？原因有幾個。

        He came from heaven (v. 31). He was not simply called from heaven, or empowered by heaven; He came from heaven. It was this claim that the Jews disputed, because they knew it was His claim that He was God (John 6:38–42). John the Baptist certainly was not “from above,” nor did he claim to be. No earthly mes senger of God came “from above.” Only Jesus Christ can make that claim and prove it to be true.                                                                                                                                                                祂來自天上（第31節）。祂並非簡單地從天上被召喚，或被賦予天上的能力；祂來自天上。猶太人質疑的正是這個說法，因為他們知道祂聲稱自己是神（約翰福音6:38-42）。施洗約翰當然不是“從上面來的”，他也沒有聲稱自己是神。沒有任何一位地上的神使者是「從上面來的」。只有耶穌基督才能做出這樣的宣稱並證明它是真實的。

         Since Jesus came from heaven, He represents the Father; and to reject His witness is to reject the Father (John 5:23). We know that His witness is true because He is the true God. We can trust it and rely on it.                                                                                                                                                                        耶穌既然來自天上，祂就代表天父；拒絕祂的見證就是拒絕天父（約5:23）。我們知道祂的見證是真實的，因為祂是真神。我們可以信靠它，倚靠它。

        It comes from Him firsthand (vv. 32–33). He shares what He has seen and heard from the Father (John 8:38). Those who receive His witness and act on it know by personal experience that His witness is true (John 7:17). Our Lord’s teachings are not to be studied intellectually, separated from everyday life. It is when we obey His Word and put it into practice that we see its truth and experience its power.          它直接來自祂（32-33節）。祂分享祂從父所見所聞（約8:38）。那些接受祂的見證並照著行的人，憑著親身經歷知道祂的見證是真實的（約翰福音7:17）。我們主的教導不應脫離日常生活，僅靠知識來學習。只有當我們遵守祂的話語並付諸實踐時，我們才能看到它的真理，並體驗到它的力量。

         The Father has authorized His Son (vv. 34–35). God sent Him (another key theme in John’s gospel); God gave Him the Word; God gave Him the Spirit; and God gave Him all things (John 13:3). What a commissioning! To reject the Son’s witness is to rebel against the highest authority in the universe.                                                                                                                                                                父已授權祂的兒子（34-35節）。神差遣祂（約翰福音的另一個關鍵主題）；神賜給祂話語；神賜給祂聖靈；神也賜給祂一切（約翰福音13:3）。這是多麼偉大的使命啊！拒絕聖子的見證就是反抗宇宙中最高的權威。

        We usually think of God’s love for a lost world (John 3:16), but John reminds us of the Father’s love for His Son. Jesus is the Father’s “beloved Son” (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). Because the Father loves the Son, He has given Him all things, and He shows Him all things (John 5:20). It is a love that can hold nothing back.                                                                                                                                     我們通常想到的是神對迷失世界的愛（約翰福音3:16），但約翰提醒我們父對祂兒子的愛。耶穌是父的「愛子」（太3:17；可1:11；路3:22）。父愛子，將萬物賜給他，又將萬物指給他看（約翰福音5:20）。這愛是無所不能的。

       Therefore, when we receive His witness, we share in His love and His wealth. To reject Christ’s witness is to sin against love and light. No wonder our Lord wept over the city of Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37–39). They had rejected His witness—both His messages and His mir acles—and their rejection led to judgment.                                                                                                                                                      因此，當我們接受祂的見證時，我們就分享了祂的愛和祂的豐富。拒絕基督的見證就是違背愛與光明的罪。難怪我們的主為耶路撒冷城哭泣（太23:37-39）。他們拒絕了祂的見證——祂的信息和祂的神蹟——他們的拒絕導致了審判。

         We might escape the wrath of God (v. 36). This is the only place in any of John’s epistles or his gospel that he uses the word wrath. (He uses it six times in the book of Revelation.) This verse parallels John 3:18 and makes it clear that there can be no neutrality when it comes to the witness of Jesus Christ: we either trust Him or we reject Him.                                                                                                                      我們或許可以逃脫神的震怒（36節）。這是約翰書信和福音書中唯一使用「震怒」一詞的地方。 （他在啟示錄中使用了六次。）這節經文與約翰福音 3:18 相似，並明確指出在耶穌基督的見證方面不能保持中立：我們要么信靠他，要么拒絕他。 

        “Everlasting life” does not simply mean eternity in heaven. The believer possesses that life right now! It is the life of God in the believer. The opposite of eternal life is eternal death, the wrath of God. A person does not have to die and go to hell to be under the wrath of God. “He that believeth not is condemned already” (John 3:18). The verdict has already been given, but the sentence has not yet been executed. Why? Because God is patient and long suffering, and continues to call sinners to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).                                                                                                                                                       「永生」並非單單意味著在天堂的永恆。信徒現在就擁有這種生命！這是信徒裡面神的生命。永生的反面是永恆的死亡，即神的憤怒。一個人不必死去或下地獄才會受到神的憤怒。 「不信的人，罪已經定了」（約翰福音 3:18）。判決已經做出，但刑罰尚未執行。為什麼？因為神有耐心，長久忍耐，並繼續呼喚罪人悔改（彼得後書 3:9）。

        As you review John 3, you can see that the apostle John is emphasizing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.                                                                                                                                                 當你回顧約翰福音第 3 章時，你會看到使徒約翰強調與耶穌基督的個人關係。 

        It is a living relationship that begins with the new birth, the birth from above. When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we share His very life and become children in the family of God.                           這是一種活潑的關係，始於新生，從上而來的重生。當我們接受耶穌基督進入我們的生命，我們就分享祂的生命，成為神家中的兒女。

        It is also a loving relationship, for He is the Bridegroom and we are a part of the bride. Like John the Baptist, we desire that Jesus Christ increase as we decrease. He must receive all the honor and glory.                                                                                                                                                                       這也是一種充滿愛的關係，因為祂是新郎，而我們是新娘的一部分。如同施洗約翰一樣，我們渴望耶穌基督興旺，我們衰微。祂必須承受一切尊榮和榮耀。

         It is a learning relationship, for He is the faithful Witness who shares God’s truth with us. What a delight it is to receive His Word, meditate on it, and make it part of our very lives.                                            這是一種學習的關係，因為祂是忠信的見證人，與我們分享神的真理。領受祂的話語，默想其中，並使其成為我們生活的一部分, 是多麼令人喜悅啊！                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               But we must never forget the cost of these blessings. For us to be born into God’s family, Jesus Christ had to die. For us to enter into the loving relationship of salva tion, He had to endure the hatred and condemnation of men. He had to be lifted up on the cross so that we might experience forgiveness and eternal life.                                                                                                                                                      但我們絕不能忘記這些祝福的代價。為了讓我們重生在神的家中，耶穌基督必須受死。為了讓我們進入充滿愛的救恩關係，祂必須忍受人的仇恨和定罪。祂必須被高舉在十字架上，使我們能經歷赦免和永生。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            May we never take this for granted!                                                                                                              願我們永遠不要將此視為理所當然！ 

        “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).                                                                               「他必興旺，我必衰微」（約翰福音3:30）。                                                                                                                                 

99 英翻中(約翰福音第2章) LEARNING ABOUT JESUS 認識主耶穌 6/27/2025

99 英翻中(約翰福音第2章)           LEARNING ABOUT JESUS        認識主耶穌        6/27/2025

CHAPTER TWO  第二課                                                                                                                            John 2                    約翰福音第2章                                                                                                              LEARNING ABOUT JESUS    認識主耶穌   

The six disciples who now trusted Jesus started on their lifelong walk with Him and from the begin ning began to learn more about Him. We who read the gospel record in its entirety are prone to take these events for granted, but to the disciples, each day and each new event brought marvels that were difficult to understand. In this chapter alone, John recorded three wonderful revelations of Jesus Christ.                六個門徒信靠了耶穌，開始了他們一生與祂同行的旅程，並從此開始更多地認識祂。我們這些讀過整本福音書的人，很容易將這些事件視為理所當然，但對門徒來說，每一天、每件新事都帶來難以理解的奇妙。光是這一章，約翰就記錄了三個關於耶穌基督的奇妙啟示。

His Glory (2:1–12)                                                                                                                                        祂的榮耀（2:1-12）                                                                                                                              “The third day” means three days after the call of Nathanael (John 1:45–51). Since that was the fourth day of the week recorded in John (John 1:19, 29, 35, 43), the wedding took place on “the seventh day” of this “new creation week.” Throughout his gospel, John makes it clear that Jesus was on a divine schedule, obeying the will of the Father.                                                                                                  「第三日」是指拿但業蒙召後的三天（約翰福音 1:45-51）。由於那是約翰福音所記載的第四日（約翰福音 1:19, 29, 35, 43），所以婚禮是在「新創造週」的「第七日」舉行的。約翰在整本福音書中都清楚地表明，耶穌遵循著神聖的時間表，遵從天父的旨意。

        Jewish tradition required that virgins be married on a Wednesday, while widows were married on a Thursday. Being the “seventh day” of John’s special week, Jesus would be expected to rest, just as God rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:1–3). But sin had interrupted God’s Sabbath rest, and it was necessary for both the Father and the Son to work (John 5:17; 9:4). In fact, John recorded two specific miracles that Jesus deliberately performed on Sabbath days (John 5; 9).                                                                             猶太傳統要求處女在星期三結婚，而寡婦則在星期四結婚。作為約翰特別一週的“第七天”，耶穌理應休息，就像上帝在第七天休息一樣（創世記 2:1-3）。但罪擾亂了上帝的安息日，因此父與子都必須工作（約翰福音 5:17；9:4）。事實上，約翰記錄了耶穌特意在安息日行的兩個神蹟（約翰福音 5；9）。

         At this wedding, we see Jesus in three different roles: the Guest, the Son, and the Host. Jesus the Guest (vv. 1–2). Our Lord was not a recluse, as was John the Baptist (Matt. 11:16–19). He accepted invitations to social events, even though His enemies used this practice to accuse Him (Luke 15:1–2). Our Lord entered into the normal experiences of life and sanctified them by His presence. Wise is that couple who invite Jesus to their wedding!                                                                                                            在這場婚禮上，我們看到耶穌扮演了三個不同的角色：賓客、兒子和主人。耶穌是客人（1-2 節）。我們的主不像施洗約翰那樣隱居（太 11:16-19）。他接受社交活動的邀請，即使他的敵人用這種做法來指控他（路加福音 15:1-2）。我們的主進入了日常生活，並透過祂的同在使之聖潔。那對邀請耶穌參加他們婚禮的夫妻真是明智！

       He was accompanied by His mother and His six disciples. Perhaps it was the addition of seven more people that helped create the crisis, but it must have been a small wedding feast if this were the case. We have reason to believe that our Lord’s earthly family was not prosperous, and it is likely that their friends were not wealthy people. Perhaps the shortage of wine was related to a low-budget feast.            他的母親和六個門徒也陪同他參加婚禮。或許是因為七個人的加入導致了危機，但如果真是這樣，那一定是一場小型婚宴。我們有理由相信，我們主在世上的家庭並不富裕，他們的朋友很可能也不是很富裕。或許酒的短缺與低預算的婚宴有關。

        Were Jesus and His disciples invited because of Mary, or because of Nathanael (John 21:2)? Our Lord was not yet well known; He had performed no miracles as yet. It was not likely that He was invited because the people knew who He was. It was probably His relation ship with Mary that brought about the invitation.                                                                                                                                                耶穌和祂的門徒是因為馬利亞，還是因為拿但業（約翰福音21:2）而被邀請的？我們的主當時還不為人所知；祂還沒有行過任何神蹟。他被邀請不太可能是因為人們知道他是誰。很可能是因為他與馬利亞的關係才促成了邀約。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Jesus the Son (vv. 3–5). Since Jewish wedding feasts lasted a week, it was necessary for the groom to have adequate provisions. For one thing, it would be embarrassing to run out of either food or wine, and a family guilty of such gaucherie could actually be fined! So, to run out of wine could be costly both financially and socially.                                                                                                                      聖子耶穌（3-5節）。由於猶太人的婚宴持續一周，新郎必須準備充足的食物。首先，食物或酒用完會很尷尬，而犯下這種粗魯行為的家庭實際上可能會被罰款！因此，酒用完在經濟和社會方面都可能代價高昂。

        Why did Mary approach Jesus about the problem? Did she actually expect Him to do something special to meet the need? Certainly she knew who He was, even though she did not declare this wonderful truth to oth ers. She must have been very close to either the bride or the bridegroom to have such a personal concern for the success of the festivities, or even to know that the sup ply of wine was depleted. Perhaps Mary was assisting in the preparation and serving of the meal.                                              馬利亞為什麼要向耶穌傾訴這個問題？她真的期望耶穌能做些什麼特別的事來滿足她的需要嗎？即使她沒有向別人宣告這個奇妙的真理，她肯定知道耶穌是誰。她一定與新娘或新郎非常親近，才會如此關心婚宴的圓滿成功，甚至知道酒已經喝完了。或許馬利亞當時正在協助準備和侍奉筵席。      

        Mary did not tell Jesus what to do; she simply reported the problem. (Compare the message of Mary and Martha to Jesus, when Lazarus was sick—John 11:3.) Jesus’ reply seems a bit abrupt, and even harsh, but such is not the case. “Woman” was a polite way to address her (John 19:26; 20:13), and His statement merely means, “Why are you getting Me involved in this matter?” He was making it clear to His mother that He was no longer under her supervision (it is likely that Joseph was dead), but that from now on, He would be doing what the Father wanted Him to do. There had been a hint of this some years before (Luke 2:40–52).                                                                                                                                  馬利亞並沒有告訴耶穌該怎麼做；她只是報告了這個問題。 （在比較拉撒路生病時，馬利亞和馬大告訴耶穌的信息－約翰福音11:3。）耶穌的回答似乎有點唐突，甚至有些刺耳，但事實並非如此。 「女人」是對她的一種禮貌稱呼（約翰福音19:26；20:13），而他這句話的意思只是：「你為什麼要把我牽扯進這件事裡？」祂向母親明確表示，祂不再受她管教（約瑟很可能已經去世了），但從今以後，祂要按著父的旨意。幾年前，祂曾有所暗示（路 2:40-52）。

         At this point, John introduced one of the key ele ments of his record, the idea of “the hour.” Jesus lived on a “heavenly timetable,” marked out for Him by the Father. (See John 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1; and note also the words of Jesus as recorded in John 11:9–10.) As you study John’s gospel, you will observe how this concept of “the hour” is developed.                                                                                    約翰在此引入了他記載的關鍵要素之一，「時候」的概念。耶穌按照天父為祂安排的「天上的時間表」生活。 （參考約翰福音7:30；8:20；12:23；13:1；17:1；並注意約翰福音11:9-10中記載的耶穌的話。）當你研讀約翰福音時，你會發現「時候」這個概念是如何發展的。

         Mary’s words to the servants reveal that she was willing to let her Son do whatever He pleased, and that she trusted Him to do what was right. It would be wise for all of us to obey what she said! It is worth noting that it was Jesus, not Mary, who took command and solved the problem; and that Mary pointed, not to her self, but to Jesus.                                                                                                                      馬利亞對僕人說的話表明，她願意讓兒子做任何祂喜歡做的事，並且她相信祂會做正確的事。我們所有人都應該聽從她的話！值得注意的是，是耶穌，不是馬利亞，發號施令解決了這個問題；而馬利亞指向的不是自己，而是耶穌。

        Jesus the Host (vv. 6–12). Our Lord’s first miracle was not a spectacular event that everybody witnessed. Mary, the disciples, and the servants knew what had happened, but nobody else at the feast had any idea that a miracle had taken place. His first miracle was a quiet event at a wedding in contrast to His last miracle recorded by John (John 11), a public event after a funeral.                                                    耶穌是聖體（6-12節）。我們主的第一個神蹟並不是每個人都目睹的盛大事件。馬利亞、門徒和僕人都知道發生了什麼，但筵席上其他人卻不知道發生了奇蹟。耶穌的第一個奇蹟是在婚禮上悄無聲息地發生的，這與約翰記載的最後一個奇蹟（約翰福音11章）截然不同，後者是葬禮後的公開活動。

         Each of the six stone waterpots could contain about twenty gallons each. However, we are not told that all of the available water in the jars turned into wine. Only that which the servants drew out and served was trans formed into wine. The quality of this new wine was so superior that the man in charge of the banquet highly praised it, and, of course, the groom’s family basked in the glory of the compliments.                                                                                                                                                           六個石缸每個可以容納約二十加侖的水。然而，聖經並沒有告訴我們缸裡所有的水都變成酒了。只有僕人們取出來倒的酒變成了酒。這款新酒的品質如此卓越，以至於筵席的主人對其讚不絕口，新郎的家人也自然而然地沉浸在讚美的喜悅之中。

        The fact that this was “the beginning of miracles” automatically declares as false the stories about the mir acles performed by Jesus when He was an infant or a young child. They are nothing but superstitious fables and ought to be rejected by anyone who accepts the authority of the Bible.                         「奇蹟的開始」這一事實本身就表明，關於耶穌在嬰兒或幼童時期所行奇蹟的故事是虛假的。這些故事不過是迷信的寓言，任何相信聖經權威的人都應該拒絕它們。

          The miracle did something for His disciples. It revealed His glory (John 1:14) and gave them a stronger foundation for their faith. Though miracles alone are insufficient evidence for declaring Jesus to be the Son of God (2 Thess. 2:9–10), the cumulative effect of miracle after miracle should certainly convince them of His deity. The disciples had to begin some where, and over the months, their faith deepened as they got to know Jesus better.                                                                                                            這個奇蹟確實為祂的門徒帶來了一些好處。它彰顯了耶穌的榮耀（約翰福音1:14），並為他們堅定的信仰奠定了堅實的基礎。雖然單憑奇蹟不足以證明耶穌是神的兒子（帖撒羅尼迦後書2:9-10），但一個又一個奇蹟的累積效應必定會讓他們確信耶穌的神性。門徒必須從某個地方開始，幾個月後，隨著他們對耶穌的認識加深，他們的信仰也更加堅定。

        But there is certainly more to this miracle than sim ply meeting a human need and saving a family from social embarrassment. The gospel of John, unlike the other three Gospels, seeks to share the inner meaning— the spiritual significance—of our Lord’s works, so that each miracle is a “sermon in action.” We must be care ful not to “spiritualize” these events so that they lose their historical moorings, but, at the same time, we must not be so shackled to history that we are blind to (as A.T. Pierson used to say) “His story.”                                                                                                                                                            但這個奇蹟的意義遠不止於滿足了人類的需求，拯救了一個家庭免於尷尬的處境。與其他三本福音書不同，約翰福音致力於分享我們主所行之事的內在意義——屬靈意義——因此，每個奇蹟都是一次「行動中的講道」。我們必須小心，不要將這些事件“精神化”，以至於失去其歷史根基；但同時，我們也不能被歷史束縛，以至於對（正如A.T.皮爾遜曾經說過的）“他的故事”視而不見。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               To begin with, the word John used in his book is not dunamis, which emphasizes power, but sïmeion, which means “a sign.” What is a sign? Something that points beyond itself to something greater. It was not enough for people to believe in Jesus’ works; they had to believe in Him and in the Father who sent Him (John 5:14–24). This explains why Jesus often added a sermon to the miracle and in that sermon interpreted the sign. In John 5, the healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath opened the way for a message on His deity, “the Lord of the Sabbath.” The feeding of the five thousand (John 6) led naturally into a sermon on the Bread of Life.                                                                                                  首先，約翰在他的書中使用的字不是強調能力的dunamis，而是sïmeion，意思是「徵兆」。什麼是徵兆？指超越自身指向更偉大事物的東西。人們僅僅相信耶穌的作為是不夠的；他們必須相信祂和差祂來的父（約翰福音5:14-24）。這解釋了為什麼耶穌經常在行神蹟之後加道，並在講道中解釋徵兆。在約翰福音第5章中，安息日醫治癱瘓者開啟了關於祂的神性－「安息日的主」－的信息。五千人吃飽的事（約翰福音第6章）自然而然地引出了關於生命之糧的講道。

        At this point, John introduced one of the key ele ments of his record, the idea of “the hour.” Jesus lived on a “heavenly timetable,” marked out for Him by the Father. (See John 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1; and note also the words of Jesus as recorded in John 11:9–10.) As you study John’s gospel, you will observe how this concept of “the hour” is developed.                                                                                    在這一點上，約翰引入了他記錄中的一個關鍵要素——「時刻」的概念。耶穌按照父為祂所訂的「天上的時間表」生活。 （參考約翰福音 7:30；8:20；12:23；13:1；17:1；也請注意約翰福音 11:9-10 中記載的耶穌的話。）當你學習約翰福音時，你會發現「時候」這個概念是如何發展的。

        Mary’s words to the servants reveal that she was willing to let her Son do whatever He pleased, and that she trusted Him to do what was right. It would be wise for all of us to obey what she said! It is worth noting that it was Jesus, not Mary, who took command and solved the problem; and that Mary pointed, not to her self, but to Jesus.                                                                                                                       馬利亞對僕人說的話表明她願意讓她的兒子做任何他喜歡做的事，並且她相信他會做正確的事。我們所有人都應該聽從她的話！值得注意的是，是耶穌，而不是馬利亞，發號施令並解決了這個問題；馬利亞指向的不是她自己，而是耶穌。

        Jesus the Host (vv. 6–12). Our Lord’s first miracle was not a spectacular event that everybody witnessed. Mary, the disciples, and the servants knew what had happened, but nobody else at the feast had any idea that a miracle had taken place. His first miracle was a quiet event at a wedding in contrast to His last miracle recorded by John (John 11), a public event after a funeral.                                                    耶穌是萬軍之主（6-12 節）。我們主的第一個奇蹟並不是每個人都目睹的壯觀事件。馬利亞、門徒和僕人都知道發生了什麼，但宴會上的其他人都不知道發生了奇蹟。他的第一個神蹟是在婚禮上悄悄發生的，這與約翰記載的最後一個神蹟（約翰福音11章）截然不同，後者是葬禮後的公開活動。

        Each of the six stone waterpots could contain about twenty gallons each. However, we are not told that all of the available water in the jars turned into wine. Only that which the servants drew out and served was trans formed into wine. The quality of this new wine was so superior that the man in charge of the banquet highly praised it, and, of course, the groom’s family basked in the glory of the compliments.                                                                                                                                                          六個石缸每個可以容納約二十加侖的水。然而，聖經並未告訴我們缸裡所有的水都變成了酒。只有僕人舀出來倒的酒變成了酒。這款新酒的品質如此卓越，以至於宴會的主人對其讚不絕口，新郎的家人也自然沉浸在讚美的喜悅之中。

        The fact that this was “the beginning of miracles” automatically declares as false the stories about the mir acles performed by Jesus when He was an infant or a young child. They are nothing but superstitious fables and ought to be rejected by anyone who accepts the authority of the Bible.                        這被稱為“神蹟的開端”，這自然就宣告了關於耶穌在嬰兒或幼童時期所行神蹟的故事是虛假的。這些故事不過是迷信的寓言，任何相信聖經權威的人都應該拒絕它們。

        The miracle did something for His disciples. It revealed His glory (John 1:14) and gave them a stronger foundation for their faith. Though miracles alone are insufficient evidence for declaring Jesus to be the Son of God (2 Thess. 2:9–10), the cumulative effect of miracle after miracle should certainly convince them of His deity. The disciples had to begin some where, and over the months, their faith deepened as they got to know Jesus better.                                                                                                            這個神蹟為他的門徒帶來了益處。它彰顯了祂的榮耀（約翰福音1:14），並為他們的信仰奠定了更堅實的基礎。雖然單憑神蹟不足以證明耶穌是神的兒子（帖撒羅尼迦後書2:9-10），但一個又一個神蹟的累積效應，必定能使他們確信祂的神性。門徒必須從某個地方開始，幾個月後，隨著他們對耶穌的認識加深，他們的信心也不斷加深。

        But there is certainly more to this miracle than sim ply meeting a human need and saving a family from social embarrassment. The gospel of John, unlike the other three Gospels, seeks to share the inner meaning— the spiritual significance—of our Lord’s works, so that each miracle is a “sermon in action.” We must be care ful not to “spiritualize” these events so that they lose their historical moorings, but, at the same time, we must not be so shackled to history that we are blind to (as A.T. Pierson used to say) “His story.”                                                                                                                                                             但這個神蹟的意義遠不止於滿足了人的需要，拯救了一個家庭免於尷尬的境地。與其他三本福音書不同，約翰福音力求分享我們主所行之事的內在意義——屬靈意義——因此，每個神蹟都是一場「行動中的講道」。我們必須小心，不要將這些事件“精神化”，使其失去歷史根基；但同時，我們也不能被歷史所束縛，以至於對（正如A.T.皮爾遜曾經說過的）“祂的故事”視而不見。

         If our Lord had preached a sermon after He turned the water into wine, what might He have said? For one thing, He likely would have told the people that the world’s joy always runs out and cannot be regained, but the joy He gives is ever new and ever satisfying. (In the Scriptures, wine is a symbol of joy. See Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15.) The world offers the best at the first, and then, once you are “hooked,” things start to get worse. But Jesus continues to offer that which is best until we one day enjoy the finest blessings in the eternal king dom (Luke 22:18).                                                                                                    如果我們的主在將水變成酒之後講道，祂會說些什麼呢？首先，祂很可能會告訴人們，世上的喜樂終將耗盡，無法重來，但祂所賜的喜樂卻是常新常新的，令人滿足的。 （在聖經中，酒是喜樂的象徵。參考士師記 9:13；詩篇 104:15。）世上起初提供最好的東西，但一旦你“上癮”，事情就開始變得更糟。但耶穌會持續提供最好的，直到有一天，我們在永恆的國度裡享受最美好的祝福（路加福音 22:18）。   

        But our Lord would certainly have a special message here for His people, Israel. In the Old Testament, the nation is pictured as “married” to God and unfaithful to her marriage covenant (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 31:32; Hos. 2:2ff.). The wine ran out, and all Israel had left were six empty waterpots! They held water for external washings, but they could provide nothing for internal cleaning and joy. In this miracle, our Lord brought fullness where there was emptiness, joy where there was disap pointment, and something internal for that which was only external (water for ceremonial washings).                                但我們的主在這裡肯定要向祂的子民以色列傳達一個特別的訊息。在舊約中，以色列國被描述為「嫁給」了上帝，但卻不忠於自己的婚約（賽54:5；耶31:32；何2:2及後）。酒用完了，以色列只剩下六個空缸！它們盛著洗淨外貌的水，卻無法提供內心的潔淨與喜樂。在這個神蹟中，我們的主在空虛之處帶來了豐盛，在失望之處帶來了喜樂，並在外在的事物（洗禮用水）中帶來了內在的慰藉。

        When John mentioned “the third day” (John 2:1), he may have been giving us a hint of our Lord’s resur rection. All of these blessings are possible because of His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead (John 2:19).                                                                                                                當約翰提到「第三天」（約翰福音2:1）時，他或許是在暗示我們主的復活。所有這些祝福都因著祂在十字架上的犧牲和從死裡復活而成為可能（約翰福音2:19）。

         Interestingly Moses’ first miracle was a plague— turning water into blood (Ex. 7:19ff.), which speaks of judgment. Our Lord’s first miracle spoke of grace.                                                                              有趣的是，摩西的第一個奇蹟是一場瘟疫－將水變成血（出 7:19ff），這講的是審判。我們主的第一個奇蹟講的是恩典。

         This miracle also presents a practical lesson in serv ice for God. The water turned into wine because the servants cooperated with Jesus and obeyed His com mands. Several of the signs in John’s gospel involve the cooperation of man and God: the feeding of the five thousand (John 6), the healing of the man born blind (John 9), and the raising of Lazarus (John 11). Whether we pass out bread, wash away mud, or roll away the stone, we are assisting Him in performing a miracle.                                              這個奇蹟也提供了事奉上帝的實際教訓。水變成酒是因為僕人與耶穌合作並遵守祂的命令。約翰福音中的幾個神蹟涉及人與上帝的合作：餵飽五千人（約翰福音 6 章），治癒生來就瞎眼的人（約翰福音 9 章），以及使拉撒路復活（約翰福音 11 章）。無論我們分發麵包、洗去泥土還是滾開石頭，我們都是在協助他行奇蹟。

         It is significant that the servants knew the source of yhis special wine (John 2:9 ).  When Jesus  heal the nobleman's son (John 4:46-54).  It was the servants who were in on the secret.  We are not just His servants; we ae also His friends, and we know what He is doing (John 15:15).                                 值得注意的是，僕人知道他特殊的酒的來源（約翰福音 2:9）。當耶穌治癒貴族的兒子時（約翰福音 4:46-54）。僕人知道這個秘密。我們不只是祂的僕人；我們也是祂的朋友，我們知道祂在做什麼（約翰福音 15:15）。

         Wine was the normal drink of the people in that day, and must not use the miriacle as an argument for the use of alcoholic beverage today.  A man given to drink once said to me, "after all, Jesus turned waer into wine!"   當時，酒是人們的日常飲品，如今我們絕不能用神蹟作為飲酒的藉口。一個嗜酒的人曾對我說：「畢竟，耶穌把水變成了酒！」

        My reply was, "If you use Jesus as your example for drinking, why don't you follow His example in everything else?"  Then I read Luke 22:18 to him.  This verse cleary states that,  in the heaven now, Jesus is a teetotaler!                                                                                                                                                我的回答是：「如果你在喝酒方面以耶穌為榜樣，為什麼不在其他所有事情上效仿他呢？」然後我給他讀了路加福音 22:18。這節經文清楚地表明，在天堂裡，耶穌是一位禁酒主義者！

         Since Christians of our day consider such verses as 1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:23; 31 before concluding that the use of alcoholic beverages is a wise thing today. I am reminded of the story of the drunken coal miner who was converted and became a vocal witness for Christ. One of his friends tried to trap him by asking, “Do you believe that Jesus turned water into wine?”                                                                                因為我們這個時代的基督徒，在得出結論認為飲酒是明智之舉之前，會先思考哥林多前書 8:9；10:23；31 等經文。這讓我想起了那個醉酒的煤礦工人的故事，他皈依了基督，並成為基督的見證人。他的一個朋友試圖用「你相信耶穌把水變成了酒」來引誘他。

         “I certainly do!” the believer replied. “In my home, He has turned wine into furniture, decent clothes, and food for my children!”                                                                                                                      「我當然相信！」信徒回答說：「在我家裡，祂把酒變成了家具、體面的衣服和孩子們的食物！」

         Finally, it is worth noting that the Jews always diluted the wine with water, usually to the proportion of three parts water to one part wine. While the Bible does not command total abstinence, it certainly mag nifies it and definitely warns against drunkenness.                                                                         最後，值得注意的是，猶太人總是用水稀釋酒，通常是三份水兌一份酒的比例。雖然聖經沒有命令完全禁酒，但它確實強調了這一點，並明確警告不要醉酒。

His Zeal (2:12–22)                                                                                                                                      祂的熱心（2:12-22）                                                                                                                          Jesus, His family, and His disciples remained in Capernaum a few days, and then He went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Each Jewish man was required to attend three annual feasts at the Holy City: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deut. 16:16). The feasts mentioned in the gospel of John are Passover (John 2:13; 6:4; 12:1), Tabernacles (John 7:2), and Dedication (John 10:22). The unnamed feast in John 5:1 may have been Purim (Est. 9:26, 31).                                                                                耶穌、祂的家人和門徒在迦百農停留了幾天，然後祂前往耶路撒冷過逾越節。每個猶太人都必須參加聖城的三個年度節期：逾越節、五旬節和住棚節（申 16:16）。約翰福音中提到的節期是逾越節（約翰福音 2:13；6:4；12:1）、住棚節（約翰福音 7:2）和獻殿節（約翰福音 10:22）。約翰福音 5:1 中未提及的節日可能是普珥節（以斯帖記 9:26, 31）。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Though He deliberately violated the man-made religious traditions of the Pharisees, our Lord obeyed the statutes of the law and was faithful to uphold the law. In His life and death, He fulfilled the law so that, today, believers are not burdened by that “yoke of bondage” (Acts 15:10).                                       儘管我們的主故意違背了法利賽人人為的宗教傳統，但他遵守了律法的規條，並忠心地維護了律法。他以自己的生命和死亡成全了律法，以至於今天的信徒不再被那「奴僕的軛」（使徒行傳15:10）所壓垮。

        Jesus revealed His zeal for God first of all by cleans ing the temple (John 2:13–17). The priests had established a lucrative business of exchanging foreign money for Jewish currency, and also selling the animals needed for the sacrifices. No doubt, this “religious mar ket” began as a convenience for the Jews who came long distances to worship in the temple, but in due time the “convenience” became a business, not a min istry. The tragedy is that this business was carried on in the court of the Gentiles in the temple, the place where the Jews should have been meeting the Gentiles and telling them about the one true God. Any Gentile searching for truth would not likely find it among the religious merchants in the temple.                                                                                                                                                              耶穌首先透過潔淨聖殿顯明了他對神的熱忱（約翰福音2:13-17）。祭司們建立了利潤豐厚的生意，將外國貨幣兌換成猶太貨幣，並出售獻祭所需的動物。毫無疑問，這個「宗教市場」最初是為了方便那些不遠千里來到聖殿敬拜的猶太人，但隨著時間的推移，「便利」變成了一門生意，而不是一項事工。悲劇的是，這項生意竟然在聖殿裡外邦人的院子裡進行，而這本應是猶太人與外邦人會面並向他們講述獨一真神的地方。任何尋求真理的外邦人，在聖殿裡的宗教商人中，都不太可能找到真理。

         Our Lord suddenly appeared in the temple and cleaned house! He was careful not to destroy anyone’s property (He did not release the doves, for example), but He made it clear that He was in command. The temple was His Father’s house, and He would not have the religious leaders pollute it with their money-making enterprises.                                                                                                                   我們的主突然出現在聖殿裡，潔淨了聖殿！祂小心翼翼，沒有毀壞任何人的財產（例如，祂沒有放出鴿子），但祂明確表示，祂是掌權者。聖殿是祂父的家，祂不容許宗教領袖用他們賺錢的事業來污染它。

         The condition of the temple was a vivid indication of the spiritual condition of the nation. Their religion was a dull routine, presided over by worldly minded men whose main desire was to exercise authority and get rich. Not only had the wine run out at the wedding feast but the glory had departed from the temple.                                                                                                                                                     聖殿的狀況生動地反映了當時民族的屬靈狀況。他們的宗教是枯燥乏味的例行公事，由一群世俗之人主持，他們的主要願望就是行使權力和致富。婚宴上不只酒用完了，聖殿的榮耀也消失了。

         When they saw His courageous zeal, the disciples remembered Psalm 69:9 “The zeal of [for] thine house hath eaten me up.” Psalm 69 is definitely a messianic psalm that is quoted several times in the New Testament: Psalm 69:4 (John 15:25); Psalm 69:8 (John 7:3–5); Psalm 69:9 (John 2:17; Rom. 15:3); Psalm 69:21 (Matt. 27:34, 48); and Psalm 69:22 (Rom. 11:9–10).                                                                      當門徒們看到祂勇敢的熱忱時，他們想起了詩篇69:9：「我為你的殿心裡焦急，如同火燒。」詩篇69篇無疑是一篇彌賽亞詩篇，在新約中被多次引用：詩篇69: 4（約翰福音15:25）；詩篇69:8（約翰福音7:3-5）；詩篇69:9（約翰福音2:17；羅馬書15:3）；詩篇69:21（太27:34, 48）；以及詩篇69:22（羅11:9-10）。

        There was still a godly remnant in Israel who loved God and revered His temple (Luke 1:5–22; 2:25–38), but most religious leaders were false shepherds who exploited the people. When Jesus cleansed the temple, He “declared war” on the hypocritical religious leaders (Matt. 23), and this ultimately led to His death. Indeed, His zeal for God’s house did eat Him up!                                                    以色列中仍有一些敬虔的餘民，他們愛上帝，崇敬祂的聖殿（路加福音1:5-22；2:25-38），但大多數宗教領袖都是假牧人，剝削人民。當耶穌潔淨聖殿時，祂向那些虛偽的宗教領袖「宣戰」（馬太福音23章），這最終導致了祂的死亡。事實上，他對神殿的熱情確實吞噬了他！

        He also revealed His zeal by giving His life (John 2:18–22). It was logical for the religious leaders to ask Him to show the source of His authority. After all, they were the guardians of the Jewish faith, and they had a right to test any new prophet who appeared. “The Jews require a sign” (1 Cor. 1:22). Often, during His ministry, the leaders asked Jesus to give them a sign, and He refused to do so, except for the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:39ff.). The “sign of Jonah” is death, burial, and resurrection.                             他也透過獻出生命來彰顯他的熱情（約翰福音 2：18-22）。宗教領袖要求他表明他權威的來源是合乎邏輯的。畢竟，他們是猶太信仰的守護者，他們有權考驗任何出現的新先知。 「猶太人要求一個神蹟」（哥林多前書 1：22）。在他傳道期間，領袖們經常要求耶穌給他們一個神蹟，但他拒絕了，除了約拿的神蹟（馬太福音 12：39 比照研讀）。 「約拿的神蹟」是死亡、埋葬和復活。

         Jesus used the image of the temple to convey this truth. “Destroy this temple [My body], and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Being spiritually blind, those who heard misunderstood what He was saying. Throughout the gospel of John, you will find people misunderstanding spiritual truth and interpret ing in material or physical terms (John 3:4; 4:11; 6:52). Herod’s temple was started in 20 BC and not completed until AD 64. How could one man “raise it up” in three days?                                           耶穌用聖殿的圖像來傳達這個真理。 「你們拆毀這殿（我的身體），我三日內要再建立起來」（約翰福音 2：19）。那些聽到的人是靈性的盲人，誤解了他的話。縱觀約翰福音，你會發現人們誤解了屬靈的真理，並用物質或物理的術語來解釋（約翰福音3:4；4:11；6:52）。希律的聖殿始建於西元前20年，直到西元64年才竣工。一個人怎麼可能在三天內「把它重建起來」呢？                         

        This statement was, of course, a prediction of His own death and resurrection, and His disciples remem bered it after He was raised from the dead. But His enemies also remembered it and used it at His trial (Matt. 26:59–61), and some of the people mocked Him with it when He was dying on the cross (Matt. 27:40).                                                                                                                                                        這句話當然是對他自身死亡和復活的預言，在他從死裡復活後，他的門徒也記得這句話。但他的敵人也記得這句話，並在審判他時引用了這句話（馬太福音26:59-61），當他在十字架上奄奄一息時，有些人還用這句話嘲笑他（馬太福音27:40）。

        In writing this gospel, John included a number of vivid pictures of the death of the Savior. The first is the slaying of the Lamb in John 1:29, indicating that His death would be that of a substitute for sinners. The destroying of the temple is the second picture (John 2:19), suggesting a violent death that would end in vic torious resurrection.                                                                                                                    在寫這本福音書時，約翰描繪了許多關於救主之死的生動畫面。第一幅是約翰福音1:29中羔羊被殺，表明他的死將代替罪人。第二幅是聖殿被毀（約翰福音2:19），暗示他將遭受暴力死亡，最終獲得勝利的復活。

         The third picture is that of the serpent lifted up (John 3:14), a reference to Numbers 21:5–9. The Savior would be made sin for us (1 Peter 2:24). His death would be voluntary (John 10:11–18): the Shepherd would lay down His life for the sheep. Finally, the planting of the seed (John 12:20–25) teaches that His death would produce fruit to the glory of God. His death and burial would look like failure, but in the end, God would bring victory.                                                                                                   第三幅是銅蛇被舉起（約翰福音3:14），這是對民數記21:5-9的引用。救主將為我們成為罪（彼得前書2:24）。祂的死是自願的（約翰福音10:11-18）：牧羊人將為羊捨命。最後，撒種（約12:20-25）教導我們，祂的死將結出榮耀神的果子。他的死亡和埋葬看似失敗，但最終，神會帶來勝利。

        The temple was an important element of the Jewish faith, for in it God was supposed to dwell. All of the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Jewish religion cen tered in the temple. When Jesus suggested that their precious building would be destroyed, their angry reac tion was predictable. After all, if His body is the temple, then the Jewish temple would be needed no more. In this cryptic statement, our Lord actually pre dicted the end of the Jewish religious system.                                                                                  聖殿是猶太信仰的重要組成部分，因為神本應居住在其中。猶太教的所有儀式和祭祀都以聖殿為中心。當耶穌暗示要摧毀他們珍貴的建築時，他們憤怒的反應是可以預料的。畢竟，如果他的身體是聖殿，那麼猶太聖殿就不再需要了。在這句隱晦的話語中，我們的主其實預言了猶太宗教體系的終結。

        But that was one of the purposes John had in mind when he wrote his gospel: the legal system has ended, and “grace and truth” have come through Jesus Christ. He is the new sacrifice (John 1:29) and the new temple (John 2:19). John will tell us later that the new worship will depend on inward integrity, not outward geogra phy (John 4:19–24).                                                                                                              但這正是約翰寫福音書的目的之一：律法制度已經終結，「恩典和真理」已經透過耶穌基督而來。祂是新的祭物（約翰福音 1:29）和新的聖殿（約翰福音 2:19）。約翰稍後會告訴我們，新的敬拜將取決於內在的正直，而不是外在的地理位置（約翰福音 4:19-24）。

His Knowledge (2:23–25)                                                                                                                          祂的知識（2:23-25）                                                                                                                                While in Jerusalem for the Passover, Jesus performed miracles that are not given in detail in any of the Gospels. It must have been these signs that especially attracted Nicodemus (John 3:2). Because of the mira cles, many people professed to believe in Him, but Jesus did not accept their profession. No matter what the people themselves said, or others said about them. He did not accept human testimony. Why? Because, being God, He knew what was in each person’s heart and mind.                                                  耶穌在耶路撒冷過逾越節時行了一些神蹟，這些神蹟在任何福音書中都沒有詳細記載。一定是這些神蹟特別吸引了尼哥底母（約翰福音 3:2）。因著這些神蹟，許多人自稱相信他，但耶穌不接受他們的自稱。無論人們自己怎麼說，或別人怎麼說。他不接受人的見證。為什麼？因為祂是神，祂知道每個人的內心和思想。

         The words believed in John 2:23 and commit in John 2:24 are the same Greek word. These people believed in Jesus, but He did not believe in them! They were “unsaved believers”! It was one thing to respond to a miracle but quite something else to commit oneself to Jesus Christ and continue in His Word (John 8:30–31).                                                                                                                                             約翰福音 2:23 中的「相信」和約翰福音 2:24 中的「交託」是同一個希臘文。這些人相信耶穌，但他不相信他們！他們是「未得救的信徒」！回應奇蹟是一回事，但將自己交託給耶穌基督並遵守祂的話語則完全是另一回事（約翰福音8:30-31）。約翰並非貶低主神蹟的重要性，因為他寫這本書是為了記錄這些神蹟，並鼓勵讀者信靠耶穌基督並獲得永生（約翰福音20:30-31）。然而，約翰在整本書中都明確指出，一個人要得救，光相信奇蹟是不夠的。看到神蹟並相信它們將是一個偉大的開始；事實上，即使是門徒也是這樣開始的，並且他們的信心必須不斷增長（比較約翰福音2:11和22）。                                   

        John was not discrediting the importance of our Lord’s signs, because he wrote his book to record these signs and to encourage his readers to trust Jesus Christ and receive eternal life (John 20:30–31). However, throughout the book, John makes it clear that it takes more than believing in miracles for a person to be saved. Seeing the signs and believing in them would be a great beginning; in fact, even the disciples started that way and had to grow in their faith (compare John 2:11 and 22).                                         約翰並沒有貶低我們主所行神蹟的重要性，因為他寫這本書就是為了記錄這些神蹟，鼓勵讀者信靠耶穌基督，獲得永生（約翰福音 20:30-31）。然而，約翰在整本書中都明確指出，一個人要得救，光相信神蹟是不夠的。看見神蹟並相信它們是一個偉大的開始；事實上，即使是門徒也是這樣開始的，並且他們的信心必須不斷增長（比較約翰福音 2:11 和 22）。

        Throughout the gospel of John, you see the Jewish people divided over the meaning of these miracles (John 9:16; 11:45–46). The same miracles that attracted Nicodemus to Jesus caused some of the other religious leaders to want to kill Him! They even asserted that His miracles were done in the power of Satan! Our Lord’s miracles were testimonies (John 5:36), giving evidence of His divine sonship, but they were also tests, exposing the hearts of the people (John 12:37ff.). The same events that opened some eyes only made other eyes that much more blind (John 9:39–41).                                                  在整本約翰福音中，你會看到猶太人對這些神蹟的意義有分歧（約翰福音 9:16；11:45-46）。吸引尼哥底母信奉耶穌的神蹟，也導致其他一些宗教領袖想要殺死他！他們甚至聲稱耶穌的神蹟是藉著撒旦的力量行的！我們主所行的神蹟是見證（約翰福音5:36），證明祂是神的兒子，但同時也是考驗，顯露人心（約翰福音12:37及後）。同樣的事件讓一些人睜開眼睛，卻讓其他人更盲目（約翰福音9:39-41）。

        It is important to see that Jesus tied His miracles to the truth of His message. He knew that the human heart is attracted to the sensational. The five thousand that He fed wanted to make Him King—until He preached a sermon on the Bread of Life, and then they left Him in droves! “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). In grace, Jesus fed the hungry; in truth, He taught the Word. The people wanted the physical food but not the spiritual truth, so they abandoned Him.                                         重要的是要看到耶穌將祂的神蹟與祂所傳講的真理連結在一起。祂知道人心容易被煽情所吸引。祂所餵飽的五千人都想擁立祂為王──直到祂講了一篇關於生命之糧的道，然後他們就成群結隊地離開了祂！ 「恩典和真理都是由耶穌基督來的」（約翰福音1:17）。耶穌本著恩典，餵飽了飢餓的人；祂本著真理，教導了神的話。人們想要物質的食物，而不是屬靈的真理，所以他們拋棄了祂。 

        “He knew what was in man” is a statement that is proved several times in John’s gospel. Jesus knew the character of Simon (John 1:42). He knew what Nathanael was like (John 1:46ff.), and He told the Samaritan woman “all things” that she had ever done (John 4:29). He knew that the Jewish leaders did not have God’s love in their hearts (John 5:42), and that one of His disciples was not truly a believer (John 6:64). He saw the repentance in the heart of the adul teress (John 8:10–11) and the murder in the hearts of His enemies (John 8:40ff.). Several times in the Upper Room message, Jesus revealed to His disciples their own inner feelings and questions.                                                                                                   「祂知道人心裡所存的」這句話在約翰福音中被多次證實。耶穌知道西門的性格（約翰福音1:42）。他知道拿但業是怎樣的人（約翰福音 1:46 及後續章節），他也告訴撒瑪利亞婦人她所行的「一切事」（約翰福音 4:29）。他知道猶太領袖心中沒有神的愛（約翰福音 5:42），也知道他的一個門徒不是真正的信徒（約翰福音 6:64）。他看見了淫婦心中的悔改（約 8:10-11）和仇敵心中的殺戮（約翰福音 8:40 比照研讀）。在樓上房間的信息中，耶穌多次向門徒揭示他們內心的感受和疑問。

         As you follow our Lord’s ministry in John’s gospel, you see Him moving gradually out of the bright light of popularity and into the dark shadows of rejection. At the beginning, it was easy for people to follow the crowd and watch His miracles. But then, His words began to penetrate hearts, with conviction following, and conviction leads either to conversion or opposi tion. It is impossible to be neutral. People had to decide, and most of them decided against Him.                                                                當你跟隨主在約翰福音中的事工時，你會看到他逐漸從受歡迎的光芒中走出來，陷入被拒絕的陰影中。一開始，人們很容易隨波逐流，觀看他的神蹟。但後來，他的話語開始深入人心，隨之而來的是信念，而信念要麼導致皈依，要麼導致反對。保持中立是不可能的。人們不得不做出選擇，而大多數人最終還是反對祂。

         Yes, Jesus knows the human heart. “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). People who want His works but not His Word can never share His life. “Seeing is believing” is not the Christian approach (John 11:40; 20:29). First we believe; then we see. Miracles can only lead us to the Word (John 5:36–38), and the Word generates saving faith (Rom. 10:17).                                                 是的，耶穌洞悉人心。 「若不看見神蹟奇事，你們總是不信」（約翰福音4:48）。想要祂的作為卻不信祂的話語的人永遠無法分享祂的生命。 「眼見為憑」並非基督徒的處世之道（約11:40；20:29）。我們先相信，然後才能看見。神蹟只能引導我們歸向神的話語（約翰福音5:36-38），而神的話語能產生得救的信心（羅馬書10:17）。

        Our Lord’s accurate knowledge of the human heart is another evidence of His deity, for only God can see the inner person. This brief paragraph prepares us for the important interview with Nicodemus recorded in the next chapter. Note the repetition of the word man from John 2:25 to 3:1. Nicodemus wanted to learn more about Jesus, but he ended up learning more about himself!                                                 我們的主對人心的精準洞悉是祂神性的另一個證據，因為只有神才能洞悉人的內在。這段簡短的文字為我們準備了下一章與尼哥底母的重要訪談。請注意，從約翰福音2:25到3:1，「人」這個字反覆出現。尼哥底母想多了解耶穌，但最終他更了解了自己！